Digital Photography – How To Create Really Sharp Photos

You spent all that money on your photo equipment. Of course, you want the equipment to produce the highest quality images possible. Part of that quality is determined by the image sharpness. To help ensure that you get the sharpest images possible from your equipment, this article covers seven techniques that improve image sharpness.

First Step – Use a Tripod

When it comes to getting sharp images, the first place to start is with a tripod. A tripod provides a stable platform that holds the camera rigid — dramatically increasing the sharpness of the image.

Even Sharper Images — Weighting the tripod

To increase the stability of the tripod even more, some additional weight can be added to the tripod. Your tripod may even have a hook at the bottom of the center column for just this purpose. One option is to carry a small cloth or net bag with your equipment. The bag can be filled with rocks or other material. Then, the bag can be attached to the hook to weight the tripod. If your tripod doesn’t have a hook, another option is to simply hang your camera bag around the center column of the tripod (this is often my choice).

Shutter Release

Just because a camera is on a tripod doesn’t mean that the camera will be steady. The simple act of pressing the shutter can cause vibrations that will cause a loss of sharpness. The solution is simple. A remote switch can be used to release the shutter. A remote switch is a device that attaches to the camera through a cable, or wirelessly, and allows the photographer to release the shutter without touching the camera.

Use Mirror Lock Up

Even with all of the things that we have already covered, the image sharpness can still be degraded because of vibration from the camera’s mirror. When the shutter button is pressed, a mirror in the camera swings up and out of the way. Not surprisingly, this creates vibration. This vibration causes the most problems between shutter speeds of about 1/30 second and 1 second. However, there is a solution. Most cameras have a mirror lockup function that can lock the mirror out of the way before the shutter is released. This eliminates the vibration entirely.

Chose Your Aperture

Some apertures produce sharper images than others. Various aberrations cause a loss of sharpness with larger apertures. Diffraction causes a loss of sharpness with the smaller apertures. As a result, the middle apertures (about f/8 for most lenses) generally produce the sharpest images.

Choose Your Shutter Speed

So, your tripod is stable, and you have chosen a sharp aperture. You are still not out of the woods yet. The subject that you are photographing may be moving. Consequently, you must choose a high enough shutter speed to stop the subject’s motion.

Choose Your ISO

If you are experiencing a problem with image sharpness due to the motion of the subject, increasing your ISO will allow you to use a higher shutter speed to freeze the motion.

Summary

Following these techniques will put you on your way to creating some really sharp photos.

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